Lamp-shade.



W. F. M. HAWE.

LAMP SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC..2. 1915.

1, 173,572, Patented Fb. 29, 1916.

WITNESSES WILLIAM FRANK M. HAWE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAMP-SHADE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, rate.

Application filed December 2, 1915. Serial No. 64,655.

To all whom it mdy concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANK M. HAWE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pittsburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Shades, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to articles designed to partially inclose a sourceof light, such for example, as an incandescent electric light bulb,allowing the rays to go freely in an upward, or downward, direction, butprotecting the eyes of nearby persons by screening the lateral raysthrough. a diffusing medium.

The objects of the invention, among others, are to provide a part-fabricshade which may be used either for direct or indirect lighting; which iscollapsible into small packing space when not in use; which is readilyput together and taken apart; which may be varied in size, color,density, pattern, and appearance, by an easy interchange of parts. Theseresults, and others which will appear hereinafter, are accomplished by aconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper portion of my shade, showing ameans of attachment to a support; Fig. 2 is a vertical section throughthe shade showing it attached to an ordinary electric light and socket;and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the shade in collapsed condition.

In order to shield sources of bright light to protect the eyes ofpersons making use of the illumination, it has been customary to useglass globes which surround the source of light on the sides, but areopen at the bottom to permit the direct lighting of objects beneath thesource of light. These shades are usually made of a clouded glass whichpermits passage of a reduced light, but so difi'uses it that there areno direct lateral rays. An indirect lighting system has come into verygeneral use, which consists in throwing the direct light rays upon awhite ceiling, or other difl'usive reflector,

' while screening the source of light from the sight of persons below bymeans of glass bowls of varying degrees of opacity. Shades have alsobeen made of a frame work surrounding the light and covered with paperor fabric, upon which various designs and colors are imposed. The use ofsuch material, instead of glass, has the advantage of economy, is not sobreakable, and allows a wider range of decoration, but usually requiresa complicated frame work, and makes a short-lived shade.

My lamp shade is preferably. composed of a flexible material, such assilk, or any other fabric, it being understood that by the term fabricis meant any form of thin flexible medium through which a certain amountof diffused light will pass. In order to give form to the shade, and todetermine its size and shape I use supporting rings, preferably in theform of hoops. These are arranged in pairs, the outer one of which isslightly larger than the inner, so that the twowill telescope. One setof rings is thus used to clamp and support the fabric at the top of theshade, and another set similarly holds it at the bottom. (Intermediatesets may be used to vary the shape, etc., if desired). Beyond the ringsthe excess material may be trimmed ofi", leaving a scalloped edge asshown at the bottom of Fig. 2, or trimmed close with no extending edge,as shown at the top of that figure. I prefer to use one set of ringslarger than the other set, in order to give the shade a more symmetricalshape,'and in addition this allows the whole to be collapsed into theform shown in Fig. 3. In this condition the smaller pair of rings liesinside the larger pair, and the fabric folds between, so that the entireshade may be packed in the space occupied by the largest ring.

The fabric being held in shape by the weight of the lower pair of ringssuspended from the supporting upper pair, no upright supports arenecessary.

In case it is desired to use the shade in an indirect lighting system itis only necessary to suspend it by the larger rings, leaving the fabricbounded by the smaller rings uncut, which will thus form the bottom of abowl screening the light on all sides and at the bottom, but leaving alarge opening for light rays to strike the ceiling or the reflectorabove. A. fabric with white in-- terior is desirable for this form of myshade, to increase upward reflection.

In putting this shade together a piece of fabric, 11, is laid over thesmallest ring, 12, and its companion ring, 13, is pushed down over thefabric and over the inner ring, 12, thus clamping it tightly. Then atthe proper distance from the first set of rings the larger 1 inner'rlng, 14:, is put inside the draped fabric, and the larger outer ring,15, is

' forced down over it, thus" clamping the fabric between the second pairof rings. The

I excess fabric may then be trimmed off at a proper distance below thelower pair of I overlapping portion, G, so that it will be' case thebottom, the portion bounded by rings. In case the shade is to be used onalamp such as that shown in Fig. 2, the circular portion of fabricbounded bythe upper set of rings is trimmed flush with the rings,leaving an opening for insertion of the lamp, L. If the shade is to beused on the ordinary pedestal lamp such as is used for dining tables,etc., this portion of ,the fabric may be left untouched and thering 12supported from beneath and inside the shade. For the purpose ofattachment to the ordinary electric light'. stem I provide a springclip, 16, which haszlinks, 17

with elongated eyes, 18, attached to it and in turn hooked into lugs,19, on the ring 12, as shown. r

I may make either my inner or outer ring of a ,resilient material'andwith a gap, or

resiliently expansible to maintain a constant pressure on'fabrics ofdifferent thicknesses, which may be interchanged in the .same

ring 12, is not cut out. I .By using my invention any flexible fabricmay be formed into a lamp shade by simply clamping the rings 12, 13, 11, 15, in proper position thereon, and cutting away the excess portionof fabric beyond the rings. There will be an excess of-fabric at thesecond set of rings, 'but thisv will be takenup 4 5 by the folding uponitself of the material.

This is not disadvantageous, but is on the contrary rather. attractivein appearance and adds to the possibilities of decoration. Otherwise, ofcourse 'a shaped and sewed fabric may be used.

By means of this construction, the fabric may be changed as frequentlyas desired,

:11sing fresh pieces instead: of cleaning. In

' additionvarying ,colors may be substituted at anytime and withoutgreat difiiculty. v

- 'Persons may use'a fabric of the same design be used for the so-calledture, or may substitute various patterns to conform to a color schemedesired for any particular occasion. This would be impossible iftheentire shade had to be made up and determined in advance at the factory.In addition there is the great economy of packing space arising from thecollapsible feature of this construction.

Other advantages and uses will be apparent to those familiar with theart.

I claim:

1. A collapsible lamp shade comprising several pairs of independenttelescoping rings, a removable flexible fabric clamped between the ringsof each'painand a detachable suspending device on one of the pairs ofrings.

2. A lamp shade consisting of a plurality of sets 'of independenttelescoping rings and a removable fabric retained between and shaped bythe rings. V,

3. A lamp shade consisting of a pair of separate rings, one ring fittingwithin the other, a larger pair of separate rings, one ring fittingwithin the other, and a removable flexible fabric retained by the pairsof interfitting rings.

4. In a lampshade the combination of a pair of separate telescopingrings, means to support one of said'rings, a translucent fabricremovably retained between the rings and depending therefrom, and asecond pair of separate telescopingrings retaining the flexible materialbelow the first and forming thebottom of the shade.

5. A collapsible lamp shade consisting of i a pair of telescoping.rings, a flexible material removably retained between the rings, alarger set of telescoping rings also removably retaining the flexiblematerial, and

supporting means for the upper set of rings.

6.- In a lamp shade the combination of a pair of independent telescopingrings,.means of support thereof, a fabric removably retained between therings and depending therefrom, and a second pair of independenttelescoping rings retaining the fabric and forming the bottom edge ofthe shade, one

ring of each pair being resiliently expan sible, wherebyto take varyingthlcklnesses of fabric, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

TWILLIAM FRANK M. JHAWQE- hereunto

